Olympus Micro Four Thirds lenses announced

To accompany the new PEN range of cameras, Olympus has revealed two new lenses - a 12mm wide-angle and 45mm portrait lens...

With the arrival of three new PEN Compact System Cameras from Olympus, two new lenses have been announced to accompany them.

Olympus 12mm f/2

The first is the 12mm f/2, or M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12mm f/2 to give its full name. Housed in a all-metal casing, the lens offers a 35mm focal length equivalent of 24mm, with a fast maximum aperture of f/2. This combination makes it ideal for low-light shooting situations, reportage and landscapes.

There’s also a built-in depth-of-field and distance idicators, coming into their own in manual focus mode – pull back the focus ring to switch to manual focus, and quickly focus with ease.

The lens is expected to be in the shops by the end of July with a street price of around £700

Olympus 45mm f/1.8

With a focal length equivalent of 90mm, the new 45mm f/1.8 is ideal for portraits – offering a pleasing, compressed focal length and shallow depth-of-field to blow the background out of focus.

There’s a metal-like finish, and when available in September, prices are expected to be under £300.